The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-21
IOWA LETTER.
Grand Junction.

Grand Junction.
This is village Of about 1000 inh alb.
itants, situated fifty miles north north
west of Des Moines, at the junction OF
the Chicago & Northwestern and the Des
Moines & Ft. Dodge Railroads. There is
no Universalist church here, but loyal
brother of the faith wrote me several
weeks ago about coming here to hold
Universalist services some Sunday. ]
wrote him to make the appointment for
Sunday, May 8, and I would be there. Al
cupied that day we were refused the use
of them. This was perhaps providential,
for no church in the village would have
comfortably seated the large audiences
which were present both morning and
evening. Almost 400 persons came to the
hall in the evening, nearly 300 in the
morning, and gave the closest attention
to the Christian gospel as it is admins
tered by the Universalist church. 1 have
pressing invitation to come again at
my earliest opportunity. I find here
many earnest believers in our faith; they
are we'll TODD people, and are anxious to
have regular services. A Universalist
congregation can be established here, a
large membership organized, and $4,000
to $4,000 house of worship built and paid
for, all within year. have spent five
days here-have been "over the ground"
and know the situation.
On Monday morning after our SER
vices, it is said that one of the orthodox
pastors remarked on the street that the
Universalists must have had slim crowd
at the hall, for the churches all had their
usual full houses" This same minister
objected to Universalism on the ground
that it tears down what he is striving to
build up. He is mistaken, but I would
say to him that If his and the other
churches which had services on that day,
all had their usual attendance, he must
admit that our slim crowd" proves con-
clusively that there are at least 300 peo-
pie in the town who could not be reached
by orthodox revivals held for nine con-
secutive weeks during the past winter,
but who will attend Universalist services.
A true Christian spirit will freely con-
cedeour right and cheerfully bid us God
speed in every effort to proclaim the gos-
pel,-even according to Universalist in
terpretation-to as many as will hear.
The time for exclusion on grounds OF
creed-difference, and other forms of big
otry, is gone by. The born bigot of our
time is one who has come little late-he
deserves our coincidence in his misfor-
tune; the self-elected, arbitrary, stubborn
headed bigot is contemplate enemy to
the highest social interests of the times.
He deserves to be religiously ostracised
by all good people, whatever may be
their denominational proclivities.
A word in reference to the Universal
lists tearing down what others build up:
The Universalist church is principally
engaged in tearing down He'll and hell.
1t tears down that creed phantom of the
dark ages, a future hell, because that
conception of things dishonors God, and
ought to be torn down. Neither can it
be denied that we have had measurably
good success in this direction. Then
again, the Universalist church is engaged
in tearing down hell, the evil effects men
experience on account of their sins. In
this direction we have done little, and
we earnestly invite our orthodox friends
to unite with us in doing as much more as
we can. In this department the field is
large enough for all of us to find work con-
tinually. Now these are the things which
Universalism as an organization is en-
gagged in tearing down, and these are the
only things; and if any orthodox minister
is engaged in building up these things, the
safety of society requires that he be taken
into custody. ]. F. SCHNEIDER.